I.        INTRODUCTION

A.      If you consider yourself to be saved from your sins, then can you explain how you were saved?

B.      According to the Bible, faith in Jesus Christ is necessary to justify and save a person.  Of this, there can be no doubt, but is faith alone sufficient to justify (make righteous) a person?  Many believe so, but is this belief true to the Bible?  This is the subject of our lesson.

II.      “FAITH ONLY” MEANS “BELIEF ONLY”

A.      First, let us consider the origin of the doctrine of justification by faith only.

                                                             1.      Justification by faith only has been a core doctrine of Protestantism since Martin Luther began the movement in 1517.

a.       Martin Luther was a Catholic priest, monk, and professor from Germany who fought against corruption in the Roman Catholic Church.  His 95 Theses stated his objections to the Catholic Church’s practices and led to his excommunication by the Pope in 1520.

b.       Luther’s doctrine of justification by faith only is derived from his application of Romans 1:17 – “But the righteous man shall live by faith” (quoted from Hab. 2:4).

i.         To counter Catholicism’s appalling lack of faith and dependence upon ritualism, Luther embraced faith alone as the means of justification.  He believed “that faith alone justifies us and fulfills the law” (Luther’s Preface to Romans).

ii.        In doing this, Luther rejected the notion that works have a part in justification.  He even wrote that “the epistle of St. James is an epistle full of straw, because it contains nothing evangelical” (Luther’s Preface to the New Testament).  His doctrine disagrees with the explanation of faith and works in James 2:14-26.

                                                             2.      Today, this doctrine is espoused by most denominations that arose from Protestantism.

a.       Naturally, the Lutheran Church adheres to the teachings of Martin Luther.

b.       The Methodist Church conforms to the Twenty-five Articles of John Wesley, including Article IX, which states, “We are accounted righteous before God, only for the merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, by faith, and not for our own works or deservings; wherefore, that we are justified by faith only, is a most wholesome doctrine, and very full of comfort.”

c.        The Anglican Church also quotes John Wesley’s article pertaining to justification by faith in Article XI of the Thirty-Nine Articles of the Church of England.

d.       The Baptist Church is another denomination that embraces the doctrine of justification by faith only according to their various manuals and conventions (The New Hampshire Baptist Confession of 1833, Baptist Church Manual published by the American Baptist Publication Society, Standard Manual for Baptist Churches by Edward Hiscox, the Statement of Baptist Faith and Message of the Southern Baptist Convention, etc.)

B.      Let us understand what the doctrine of justification by faith only means to those who believe it.

                                                             1.      In terms of this doctrine, the term “faith only” means “belief only.”

a.       In the original language of the New Testament, the words translated as “faith,” “belief,” “believes,” etc., are derived from a single root verb, peithō, which means “to persuade, to be persuaded, to trust, have confidence, be confident.”

b.       Thus, the English words “faith” and “belief” are usually interchangeable according to the Scriptural context in which they are used.

                                                             2.      Persons who believe in justification by faith only believe that the only thing required of men in order for them to be saved is belief in Jesus.

a.       Justification is the process of making one righteous.  It is synonymous with salvation because the justified person has been saved from his unrighteous, sinful condition.

b.       Typically, those who believe this doctrine define belief in Jesus as having two components – (1) acceptance of Jesus and (2) trust in Jesus’ power to save.

c.        As a result, believers in this doctrine teach the so-called “sinner’s prayer” (which states the two components above) as the means to receive salvation.

III.   THE BIBLE AND “FAITH ONLY”

A.      The denominational concept of justification by faith only is not a Bible doctrine.  The purpose of this section is to present the truth on this matter according to the Bible.

                                                             1.      There is no question that faith is required for salvation by every book of the New Testament.

                                                             2.      The question is whether faith alone is sufficient for salvation.  The Bible says it is not.

B.      First, consider a few Bible passages that plainly refute the doctrine of justification by faith only.

                                                             1.      The definitive passage on this matter is the one that Martin Luther dismissed: James 2:14-26.

a.       This is the only passage that mentions faith alone, and it does so negatively.

i.         “Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.” (v. 17)

ii.        “You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.” (v. 24)

b.       Luther saw James 2:24 as a contradiction of Romans 3:20, but it is not.

i.         Romans speaks in terms of the works of the Law of Moses (“by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight”).

ii.        However, James speaks in terms of the works of faith (compare works of faith in James 2:14-17 to works of love in 1John 3:16-18).

c.        James proves that Abraham was justified by faith through works (compare to Rom. 4).

d.       Notice that even demons believe in God, but they are not saved by mere belief (v. 19).

                                                             2.      John 12:42-43 – Certain rulers believed in Jesus, but they would not confess Him.  They had the approval of men, but not the approval of God.  Their belief (faith) alone did not save them.

                                                             3.      Acts 2:38 – Repentance and baptism are necessary for forgiveness (also Mk. 16:16; Acts 8:35-39).

                                                             4.      Acts 10:34-35 – God welcomes those who fear Him and work righteousness.  Works are required.

                                                             5.      Acts 16:30-33 – To be saved, the Philippian jailer was told to believe in Jesus, which he did when he was baptized into Christ.  His belief (faith) was effective for justification when he obeyed.

                                                             6.      Romans 1:5; 16:26 – The “obedience of faith” means that more than mental belief is required.

                                                             7.      2Thessalonians 1:8; 1Peter 4:17 – Those who do not obey the gospel face a fearful judgment.

                                                             8.      Hebrews 3:18-19; 4:2, 6, 11 – Notice that “unbelief” is interchangeable with “disobedience.”

                                                             9.      Hebrews 11 – All of the persons described acted on their faith (“assurance of things hoped for, conviction of things not seen” – v. 1).  None had only mental acceptance of God’s word.

                                                          10.      These passages are a very small sampling of all that refutes the doctrine of justification by faith only.  Every passage that enjoins obedience refutes this false doctrine.

C.      Next, consider a few Scriptures that are misapplied to promote the doctrine of justification by faith only.

                                                             1.      John 3:16 – This passage is misapplied to show that eternal life is given on the basis of belief only.

a.       If this was the only verse pertaining to the matter of eternal life, then we would know belief is the only condition for eternal life.  However, many other passages (see above) give further insight into the matter.

b.       In fact, within this same chapter of Scripture John 3:36 demonstrates the necessity of both belief and obedience for receiving eternal life.

                                                             2.      Romans 1:17 – This passage is misused to say that faith (belief) alone is needed for righteousness.

a.       The meaning of this verse is that men are made righteous (justified) because they live (work) according to their faith (belief in unseen things – Heb. 11:1) in Jesus.

b.       When understood correctly, this verse teaches the same truth as James 2:14-26.

                                                             3.      Ephesians 2:8-9 – This passage is misused to imply that no works are required for salvation.

a.       The point in this passage is that a person cannot save himself apart from the grace of God and faith in Christ.  Therefore, no man can boast of justifying himself.

b.       This point is not the same as saying that no works are required.  In fact, the very next verse (v. 10) says, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

IV.    CONCLUSION

A.      The limitations of this lesson do permit a more detailed rebuttal of the doctrine of justification by faith only, and there is much, much more that can and should be said on the matter.

B.      The simplest way to understand salvation in Jesus Christ is found in two words: grace and faith.

                                                             1.      Grace describes God’s part in salvation, i.e., the execution and revelation of His plan, the gospel.

                                                             2.      Faith describes our part in salvation, i.e., believing in the unseen God and His word in the gospel and obeying its message.

                                                             3.      This is the plain meaning of “by grace you have been saved through faith” (Eph. 2:8).  Let us accept this meaning and follow it to eternal life.